The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-10
AMONG THE BOXERS.
TIE Battle that Smith and Kllrain are to
Fight in Spain.
Sullivan not Satisfied with His Enforced
Retirement From the Ring-stage
Notes and Personals.

In the articles of agree ment for an inter
national championship match between Jake
Kilrain and Jem Smith, the Englishman
got everything he asked for, and the match
may be said to have been well made on his
SIDE at least. That there may be fair field
and no favor, and that the best man may
win, is the ardent aspiration of every true
sportsman. That the best man and the win
ner may be Kilrain is the hope of all pa
triotic Americans. That the match has not
caused 1.-THE of the excitement that was
created by the contest between John @.
Heenan, ''the Benecia Boy" and Tom Say
ers is patent to all, and that the tact that
Sullivan is not the champion who is TO rep
resent the stars and Stripes is the reason OF
the apparent apathy of sporting men is
equally plain. Besides, international
matches, or matches between the best men
of Great Britain and America, have been
commoner in late years than they were
formerly, and that is another reason for the
lack of interest in the present affair.
There are features about the present
match which do not recommend it to pub
lie confidence. / don't say there is any
thing wrong, or that any wrongis contem-
plated, but do say that the public cannot
see why there should be any Limitation to
the number of spectators permitted to be
present. 1t is understood that there is no
law against prize fighting in Spain. Why,
then, should there be any objection to any
one who is willing to go to the expense of
money and time necessary being present
and witnessing the battle? 1t may be an
swered that Kilrain, being the stranger of
the two and the furthest from his home,
would have the fewest partisans if all
were permitted to attend. l doubt il this
is valid objection or one that will hold
water. Americans will give quicker, aud
more than any other people on the face of
the earth, and the more friends Jake would
have at the ring side the better he would
feel. However the die is cast, the match
is made, and the English will not recede
one iota from its terms. l do not want to
throw any cold water on the match. and I
DO hope that it will be conducted fairly
and manfully on botn sides.
There have been a good many hard
stories about Sullivan afioat lately. He
deserves credit for his long abstinence
from liquor, and it is sincerely to be hoped
that ne may have the moral strength to
conquer his appetite for it hereafter.
hear that John is anything but satisfied
with his enforced retirement from the
ring. he naturally dislikes the idea of
seeing Jake Kllrain announced Is cham.
pioD, and the fact that Jake is to have
chance to fight Smith must be gall and
wormwood to him. Smith had promised
him the first chance. and John loDged for
the chance Of st owing how much superior
he was to Englsnd's best man. Sceedy,
for some reason or other, has little or no
confidence in Sullivan's broken arm, and
has done all IN mis- power to prevent him
from fighting again. In so doing he has,
feel sure, nothing but Sullivan's interests
at heart; but if the srm is as well as Sully
declares it is, and IL the big fellow will
train down TO 210 pounds, l think Pat is
making a mistake in keeping him back.
1t Is Sullivan, the pugilist, that the public
admire. They don't want him bravo, a
bully, or drunkard, but they don't care a
snap for him in the role of Sir Elegant
Gentleman. If John intends remaining IN
the ring, he will have an excellent oppor-
tunity of announcing the fact when the
belt is girded around his loins. / would
like to see him take the conceit out of
Smith, and SO would all Of you.
take no stock in the report that Pat
Sheedy had made 6 proposition to Joe Ian
| non, whereby he was to receive $3.50 for
letting Sullivan knock him out in one
| round at the exhibition in Boston on Mon
day night. The object of the arrangement,
| 1t is said, was to show that Sullivan could
| whip Joe, whereas it took Kilrain a hard
battle to conquer him. Sullivan has plenty
| of faults, but he has altered greatly II
| crookednesS has been added to the list.
| think he would have no trouble in doing
LaDnon on the dead level in one round il
| he was so inclined, but the probabilities
| are that the story was started to iniure
him in public estimation. Sullivan is nc
saint, and Sheedy can't make people be.
| lieve him one, but he is dead square man,
and no one can ARRANGE" a fight for him.
The Charley Mitchell Gallagher fight
ended as the talent expected. Reddy proved
| himself a rafting good man for his avoir
dupois, but he will have to eat sack Oh
two more of potatoes before he can trot il
the first class of fighters.
| Peter Nolan, of Cincinnati, did plucky
thing in standing up at the ring side and
challenging either Mitchell or Kilrain. AS
Jake has match on hand, of course ht
can hardly be expected to accept, but there
| is no obstacle in Mitchell's way. Peter /.
very anxious to get on with the handsome
1 EDgiisbman, and he is dead sure that he
can whip him. There is no doubt that ht
will give him a rafting fight, and in a gC
to finish he ought to have an equal chanct
| with him.
Progress is all that can be reported il
the Jack ke-Paddy Ryan fight.